Being There
Directed by Hal Ashby
Book and Screenplay by Jerry Kozinski
Starring Peter Sellers
with Shirley McLaine and Richard Dysart
1979
This movie was the capstone of a career of shere comedic genius. Sellers is perhaps best known as the bumbling French Inspector Clouseau in the Pink Panther series, starting in 1963. 1964's 'Dr Strangelove' (directed by Stanley Kubrick) may well exceed this movie in the eyes of history, but both are clearly part of it.
'Being There' is a critique of TV driven culture and politics and in it's time it was biting. In this age of emerging internet media influence the look back makes this a different movie than at the time of it's release. I recently watched it again, and enjoyed it immensely, all the more so for this being an election year.
If you aren't familiar with the plot it concerns a reclusive gardner forced into a world he only knows from TV, after his lifelong employer dies. He actually does pretty good, much to the chagrin of the black maid who took care of him previously.
In reviewing Sellers Filmography for this piece I noticed a 1967 James Bond Spoof he did of "Casino Royale'. The cast includes Ursula Andress as the Bond Girl, David Niven, Orson Welles, Woody Allen, John Huston, Deborah Kerr and William Holden. I'm gonna watch this one soon, sorry Mr. Meyers.
